Hinge exhibitor

ABSTRACT

A hinge exhibitor for apprising prospective users of the hinge&#39;&#39;s structure and operation includes a demonstration hinge mounted to simulate an application of the hinge. Messages appearing on the hinge leaves are explanatory of hinge components that may be seen through transparent hinge knuckles.

United States Patent Suska [451 Mar. 21, 1972 54] HINGE EXHIBITORFOREIGN PATENTS on APPLICATIONS 72 Inventor: Charles R. sum, Roxbury,conn. 968,288 9/1964 Great Britain ..40/135 [73] Assignee: The StanleyWorks, New Britain, Conn. OTHER PUBLICATIONS 1 Filedr p -29,1969Teaching Aids for Trade and Industrial Instructions," Office [21] AppLNo; 861,706 of Education Circular No. 662, 015-84024 rec d July 1963,

pp. 1, 2, 17, 34 relied on. Hardware by J. C. Plant, published byAmerican School,

[52] U.S. Cl. R Chicago Aug 1922, 14 and front covers relied on,

[5 1] Int. Cl. ..G09b 25/02 Of Search 49, 50, 51, Primary Examiner. .Ha|and S skogquist 16/128 R, 128 A, 128 55 40/135 Attorney-Brumbaugh,Graves, Donohue 8: Raymond [56] References Cited 5 ABSTRACT UNITEDSTATES PATENTS A hinge exhibitor for apprising prospective users of thehinge s structure and operation includes a demonstration hinge 1,292,5081/1919 Orr ..35/49 X 3,231,929 2/1966 l-liltunen 16/128 R mumed s'mumeapplcam hmge' Messag Stainless steel beori precisi n flat and superfinished Stalnless steel pin W through -hardenefl and polished AStunite-o selllubricating bearing material formulated for long Iitenomaintenance ,pearing on the hinge leaves are explanatory of hingecomponents that may be seen through transparent hinge knuckles.

Lateral load laken bet en stainless /ste pin and surface I at Stanitebore Vertical load taken between stainless steel and Slanite thrustsurfaces PATENTEDMARZI m2 CHARLES R. SUSKA W W M+W his ATTORNEYS HINGEEXHIBITOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a hingeexhibitor which is suitable for use in the promotion and sale of alltypes of hinges.

Various methods have been used in the past to demonstrate improvementsin new hinge structures. One technique has been to disassemble an actualhinge device and then exhibit and explain each part separately whilereassembling the hinge. While this procedure is adequate for relativelysimple hinges, it does not suffice to illustrate adequately thestructure and operation of a fully assembled complex hinge mechanism.Another technique has been to use a cutaway" metal hinge which, as thename implies, reveals portions of the interior construction within thebore of the hinge knuckles by cutting away sections of the outer casing.It is apparent that this technique does not provide full visibility ofthe interior hinge structure and, moreover, does not convey to theviewer the pleasing impression desired for demonstration purposes. Thestructure and advantages of a hinge can only be appreciated by observinga fully assembled and intact working model in a simulated application ofthe hinge which shows the interrelated functions of all the hingeelements. Such a working model or exhibitor has been heretofore unknown.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hingeexhibitor suitable for use as a sales aid which demonstrates andexplains the hinges interior mechanism while the hinge is fullyassembled.

It is another object of the invention to facilitate the demonstration ofa hinge by making its interior components visible and providing messagesjuxtaposed to such components and explanatory of the hinge.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hingeexhibitor which may be adapted to demonstrate any type of hinge andwhich is compact, attractive and economical to produce.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION These and other objects of the presentinvention are accomplished by providing a demonstration hinge havingtransparent exterior components which contain interior components,thereby revealing the construction and function of the hinge mechanism.In a preferred embodiment of the invention, hinge leaves are providedwith backing plates in such a manner that operation of the hinge isfacilitated with the hinge knuckles exposed to full view when the hingeleaves are together and 180 apart. Messages explaining the details ofthe revealed hinge construction appear at the hinge leaves injuxtaposition to the appropriate hinge components. Such messages may beapplied directly upon the hinge leaves, upon an opaque sheet or memberbeneath transparent hinge leaves, or upon a separate transparent plasticsheet beneath transparent hinge leaves. In the latter instance, abackground film, on which a metallized reflective surface has preferablybeen deposited, may be positioned beneath the transparent plastic sheetto provide a surface that enhances the visibility of the explanatorymessages. The reflective surface may also suggest the material of theactual hinge. The hinge and, if used, the sheet or sheets beneath thehinge leaves, are secured to the backing plates by mounting screws. 1

To provide an especially attractive and realistic hinge exhibitor, thebacking plates may take the form of mounting blocks made of finishedwood. The hinge leaves are inserted into correspondingly-shaped mortisesformed in the mounting blocks, which simulate the door and jamb mortisesactually used with the hinge, to simulate an actual application of thehinge. The interior hinge mechanism within a bore formed by the hingeknuckles, and the mounting screws, may be made from the actual hingeproduction components, while the outer casing of the hinge is moldedfrom a suitable transparent plastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a typical hinge exhibitor inclosed position with the hinge leaves together arranged according to thepresent position;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the hinge exhibitor assembly ofFIG. 1 in an open position with the hinge leaves 180 apart;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the transparent knuckle whichreveals the interior construction of the demonstration hinge taken alongline 3-3 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the leaf showing a typicalarrangement for displaying explanatory messages in juxtaposition tovarious hinge components taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the illustrative embodimentof the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a hinge exhibitor 10 comprisesa three-knuckle demonstration hinge 11 which is secured to a mounting 12by means of hinge mounting screws 13-20. The mounting 12 is formed bybacking plates 21 and 22 preferably constructed of wood and shown herein the form of mounting blocks. As best seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, theinterior surfaces 23 and 24 of the mounting blocks are provided withhinge mortises 25 and 26, respectively, with suitably spaced screw holesin the base 27 of each mortise (mortise 26 in FIG. 4 being illustrative)for receiving the mounting screws 13-20 of hinge leaves 28 and 29 of thehinge ll. Integral with the leaf 28 is a single knuckle 30 positionedbetween a pair of spaced-apart knuckles 31 and 32 integral with the leaf29. The knuckles 30-32 are constructed so that when aligned in operatingposition a bore 33 is formed. The hinge knuckles 30-32 are formed of anysuitable type of transparent material. For example, the transparentplastic polycarbonate has been found satisfactory. The hinge leaves 28and 29 may also be formed of the same transparent plastic and, ifdesired, molded integrally with the knuckles. The transparency of theknuckles reveals interior components 34 of the hinge within the bore 33of the knuckles 30-32, as shown in FIG. 3.

As best seen in FIG. 4, the base 27 of the mortise 26 in the mountingblock 22 receives a background sheet 35 formed, for example, of aplastic material such as Mylar or cellulose acetate having a metallizedreflective surface that simulates the material of the actualmanufactured hinge. Between the background sheet and the transparentleaf 29 is positioned a transparent message sheet 36 formed, forexample, of cellulose acetate to which has been applied display messagesexplanatory of the hinge. As shown in FIG. 2, written messages 37-41 onthe sheets, juxtaposed to the hinge knuckles explain the details of therevealed construction 34 within the knuckle bore 33. The sheets 35 and36 are provided with suitably spaced screw holes to receive the mountingscrews 13-20 which retain the parts in position.

If desired, the messages may be applied directly on the hinge leaves 28and 29. If the leaves are transparent, the readability of the messagesmay be improved by making the under surfaces of the hinge leavesreflective by metallizing them.

The messages can also be applied directly on the metallized reflectivesurfaces of the sheets 35 or, alternatively, the sheets 35 may be opaqueand carry the explanatory messages.

When the hinge exhibitor 10 is properly assembled, the knuckles 30-32,which reveal the interior components 34 within the knuckle bore 33, arecontinually exposed to view, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the hinge isopened and closed to simulate the actual mounting of the hinge on a doorand jamb. This is accomplished by having the edges 42 and 43 of theleaves 28 and 29, respectively, jutting out from the mortises 25 and 26of the block members 21 and 22, respectively. With the hinge open, themessages explain the hinge components to which they are juxtaposed. Thisfacilitates the demonstration of the hinge to prospective users.

The inventive hinge exhibitor greatly facilitates the demonstration of ahinge. Thus, prospective buyers and users who view the explanatorymessages, and operate the hinge in a mounting simulating an applicationof the hinge, are quickly apprised of the structure and advantages ofthe hinge.

lclaim:

l. A hinge exhibitor comprising two mounting blocks, a mounting surfaceon one side of each block, a demonstration hinge having transparentleaves and transparent knuckles, said leaves being received by themounting surfaces on the mounting blocks to simulate actual mounting ofthe hinge, said knuckles when aligned forming a bore containing aninterior mechanism of the hinge, a mirrorlike background sheet providinga reflective surface between each of the transparent leaves and themounting surfaces, means providing messages between each of thereflective surfaces and the transparent hinge leaves, at least some ofthe messages being juxtaposed to portions of the hinge described by themessages, the reflective surfaces enhancing the visibility of themessages, and means fastening the leaves to the mounting blocks toenable operation of the hinge by movement of the blocks with theknuckles exposed to view when the hinge leaves are together and when thehinge leaves are apart.

l i I! t

1. A hinge exhibitor comprising two mounting blocks, a mounting surfaceon one side of each block, a demonstration hinge having transparentleaves and transparent knuckles, said leaves being received by themounting surfaces on the mounting blocks to simulate actual mounting ofthe hinge, said knuckles when aligned forming a bore containing aninterior mechanism of the hinge, a mirrorlike background sheet providinga reflective surface between each of the transparent leaves and themounting surfaces, means providing messages between each of thereflective surfaces and the transparent hinge leaves, at least some ofthe messages being juxtaposed to portions of the hinge described by themessages, the reflective surfaces enhancing the visibility of themessages, and means fastening the leaves to the mounting blocks toenable operation of the hinge by movement of the blocks with theknuckles exposed to view when the hinge leaves are together and when thehinge leaves are 180* apart.